It is never too early to begin inculcating healthy habits into your kids. You want to drill into them that washing their hands, brushing their teeth, and avoiding germy surfaces are practices that will benefit them for a lifetime. Here are a few more health-related lessons that you should teach your kids.
Exercise to Stay Strong and Energetic
According to the CDC, childhood obesity has more than doubled in the past 30 years, and that is due partly to the increase of sedentary lifestyles. Excess weight can result in lower energy levels, reduced stamina, and a slew of serious health problems.
Encourage your children to live an active lifestyle by setting the example. If you have time, walk with them to school and walk to the school to pick them up. Plan fun family activities that involve exercise. Go on hikes, explore your city on bicycles, and use online videos to learn cool dance moves. Limit TV and video game time. You’ll draw closer as a family, and everyone will have a blast!
Keep the House Clean to Guard Against Respiratory Problems
Pollen, pet dander, and other factors can make life miserable for anyone in your family who has allergies. Instill in your children the importance of keeping the house clean to promote a healthy life. Teach them to dusty weekly, and assign them other housekeeping chores according to their abilities.
Paying attention to indoor air quality can have short- and long-term benefits. You can reduce allergy symptoms, prevent asthma attacks, and take strain away from the respiratory systems of everyone in your house.
Choose Healthy Foods to Live a Long Life
All too often, the foods that are most convenient to eat are the foods that will damage health. Many snacks designed for children are chock full of dyes, sugar, and chemicals. Teach your children how to read nutrition labels. Tell them how to differentiate between good fats and bad fats as well as complex carbohydrates and simple carbohydrates. Take them shopping with you so they can help you pick out foods that will benefit everyone in the family.
Also be sure to tell your children about the dangers of an unhealthy diet. While you don’t want to frighten or shame them, they should understand the diseases that a poor diet can lead to. Diabetes, cancer, and obesity are a few of the conditions that you should educate them about.
Practice Good Hygiene to Prevent Disease
Of course, you want your children to wash their hands regularly, but there is more you should teach them about good hygiene and its benefits. Bathing regularly, taking care of their skin, changing their clothes regularly, and being sure to wash fruits and vegetables are all sound habits. Adopting them will enable your children to prevent food poisoning, skin infections, and other unpleasant conditions.
Teaching your kids to live a healthy lifestyle is tricky, but it is well worth the effort. Be a positive role model so your entire family can live healthier, happier, and more active lives.